Readers' Muse: The Secret of God's Son by Usha Narayanan : A Review

THE SECRET OF GOD'S SON

Usha Narayanan

Blurb

‘The seas will devour the glorious city of Dwaraka. People will forget your name and your Gita. May the world perish! May the world perish!’

With this cruel curse on Krishna, Queen Gandhari plunges mankind into the unspeakable evil of the Kali Yuga.

It is up to Pradyumna to try and reverse the dire prediction. To journey into terrifying realms, confront Yama and Shiva, and to vanquish the Kali demon. In order to do so, he must shed all that holds a mortal back—his arrogance, his fears, his baser instincts… He must lead his people out of the swirling vortex of greed, disease and misery. And there is one powerful weapon still…the secret surrounding Pradyumna’s origin.

Will he uncover it in time to fight off the cataclysm?

In the answer lies the destiny of all humanity!

FIRST IMPRESSION:

I have always been a fan of books based on mythology, and with the modern spate of books that have been written in this genre, have read and been impressed with a very few books. Usha Narayanan's earlier book, Pradyumna - Son of Krishna was in my wishlist for long and I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book. So naturally the expectation was high for the sequel. When an opportunity to read and review 'The Secret of God's Son' came my way, I took it up with some amount of excitement.

The summary that began with a chilling curse by a pained Queen Gandhari immediately held my attention. The Mahabharatha was the epic war that signified the end of Dwapara Yuga and the onset of the Kali Yuga - the most abominable of the Yugas, where humanity reached its nadir. And the angry Queen's curse was one of the first things that set this off. The premise that one mortal would have to reverse the most powerful of curses and save humanity made me look forward to the story.

REVIEW:

While the Mahabaratha itself is a very popular story, it culminates mainly with the war and the immediate coronation of the pandavas to lord a city of derelict people. Little is said about the aftermath, as if the storytellers were also exhausted by the war and the carnage. So when a story talks about the time after the main event, it is naturally interesting, an area that was not explored much. This is one of the contributing factors for 'The Secret of God's Son' maintaining the tempo, in addition to it being a well written, carefully researched book. The book focuses (obviously) on one of the side stories of the original epic, answering the question of what happened to Krishna and the Yadu clan. This will interest both sets of people - the ones who have no idea about it, and the ones who know the popular version of the story.

While most of us have been brought up to believe in destiny being the reason for everything we face in life, we cannot deny that it is also one of the most complicated concepts ever. We have all grown accustomed to living by our destinies, a vicious cycle only a very few dare to step out of. What would happen if we were to fight against it? what would happen if we decide to change what is written in air, and not on stone? The Secret of God's Son works well because it speaks of even extraordinary things in a way every reader could understand. Starting with the perfectly normal portrayal of gods, supreme beings and divine creatures, and daring to show their weaker sides, the book is one completely exhilarating read.

To be able to write a book that invokes all the necessary emotions at all times - be it sadness or thrills or a deep poignant love - just by words is not an easy task. Most of the times, while I read the book, I felt like I was reading a completely new story, and a other times, I felt like I was reading a story I knew very well. The author has managed to strike the perfect balance between what is popularly known and what might have not been that widely known or acknowledged. The lilting power of the words actually served to become the replacement for backgroud music while the vivid visuals played in my head. The book shall gain the appreciation of many merely by the power of writing, and of course, the story it conveys.

The title itself is an ambiguous one. Was the secret about the God's Son, or was it something he had? But the story that is developed around the short and scintillating summary answers most questions. Of course I still wish some parts of it were better, but have no overall or lasting complaints. The complaints are actually laments of someone who finds a well written book too short. The Secret of God's Son is a brilliant read - if you have an open mind and are a fan of mythology who will appreciate the finer aspects of the story and the subtle undercurrents in the various twists and turns.

WHAT I LIKED:

The writing style is gripping. It was enough to completely hold my attention.
The climax is unique and good, with a few memorable things I would take back
The pace does not slacken in many places (except for certain dialogues)

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

The length of certain long winded passages could have been shortened. But this does not really affect the speed of reading
Though I understood the reference, the cover for this book was tamer compared to book 1
That's it! I am done nitpicking. There really is nothing seriously wrong with the book :D

VERDICT:

Go for this! One of the best out there.

RATING: 4.5/5

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About the author

USHA NARAYANAN

Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time writer. She is the author of The Madras Mangler, a suspense thriller, and Love, Lies and Layoffs, a light-hearted office romance. The Secret of God’s Son is the sequel to her bestselling book, Pradyumna: Son of Krishna, which was published in July 2015.

When she’s not juggling travel, writing and interviews, Usha reads everything from thrillers to romances, provided her cat isn’t fast asleep on her Kindle. She would love to hear from her readers here: author@ushanarayanan.com

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Media mentions

Praise for Pradyumna: Son of Krishna:

“Usha Narayanan has taken a quantum leap . . . to the outright spine-tingling narrative from the leaves of a time before. This book is Indian writing coming of age" Femina

"Like the best of our mythological tales, this too, is a multilayered one . . .There is valour, there is cowardice, there is glory, there is shame, there is sex, lies and deception" The Hindu

"This engrossing tale takes readers on a mythological saga" Times of India

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